Also consider using a non-contact thermometer to measure the temperature of the breakers in your circuit box periodically. A breaker will experience premature failure if it is operated at more than 85% of it's capacity. You can tell when that is happening because they heat up. In my experience, once they reach 100-110F for any length of time failure is imminent. My experience with this is limited to server room backup power supplies where we scan the breaker temperature weekly.
-Dave Walton On Dec 17, 2007 11:24 AM, archer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I've never heard of anyone having problems with the kind of setup I > described. 12 ga cable is approved for 20 amps, so 40 amps between the two > cables is really overkill for the light duty appliances that will be > connected. The important thing is to keep the load divided between the two > legs. Extension cords to switch appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, > and TVs to the other leg is the way its usually done here. The problem, if > there is any, would be the 14 ga cables feeding the outlets in the house; > hence the reason to feel the plugs occasionally. > Gerry > .............................................. > From: "Kaleb C. Striplin, work" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > So 12 ga wiring would be heavy enough? I thought about buying some wiring > > and running the 2 110 outlets on the gen to 2 different outlets in the > > house. I pretty much know which 2 I need to power the whole house. I may > > do that today but not sure if I want to mess with it if the power is > > coming > > back in the next couple of days anyway. I suppose it might be worth it > > even > > with only a couple of days more. > > > > --- > > Kaleb C. Striplin > > Cox Auto Trader > > 730-Tulsa FSBO Supervisor > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "archer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > > Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 9:43 AM > > Subject: Re: [MBZ] generator > > > > > >> Many of us down here in Hurricane Land have smaller generators with two > >> 110v > >> outlets. We buy a 50' or 100' roll of 12 gauge three wire house wiring > >> cable, cut it in two, and put heavy duty plugs on both ends. > >> We pull the main breakers and flip all the other breakers off, turn off > >> "everything" in the house, plug the two extensions in what we hope are > >> the > >> two separate legs receptacles, and crank up the generator. A little > >> experimenting with flipping on breakers and lights and such can verify > >> that. > >> We turn on refrigerators, freezers, fans, a TV, and the lights we'll need > >> after calculating their wattages. We check for overloads on the (15 ga) > >> outlets connected to the generator by feeling them occasionally. If > >> they're > >> running hot, we try other outlets or run an extension from a refrigerator > >> or > >> TV, for example, to a plug on the other leg. > >> We don't try to run heavy appliances or even hot plates without turning > >> off > >> some other appliance like a refrigerator or freezer temporarily. > >> > >> With the long cables we can keep the generator far enough away from the > >> house so there won't be a problem with CO. > >> Gerry > >> .................................................... > >> From: "Tom Hargrave" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>> You also need a generator that is wired for 240 VAC, center tapped and > >>> the > >>> center tap goes to ground (neutral). If you don't wire the center tap to > >>> ground correctly then an unbalanced load will burn some lights dim & > >>> burn > >>> some lights out. > >>> > >>> Thanks, > >>> Tom Hargrave > >>> www.kegkits.com > >>> 256-656-1924 > >>> > >>> > >>> -----Original Message----- > >>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>> On Behalf Of Kaleb C. Striplin, work > >>> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 8:23 AM > >>> To: Mercedes Discussion List > >>> Subject: Re: [MBZ] generator > >>> > >>> AH HA. Thats kind of what I was thinking. The neighbor next door wired > >>> their gen into the house and I was sort of looking at it and it looks > >>> like > >>> they replaced one of the outlets in their garage with a 240 or whatever > >>> drier type outlet. IIRC, the regular house outlets with 2 outlets have > >>> 2 > >>> sets of wires. I assume they would have wired both sets of wires into > >>> the > >>> same drier type outlet? Is that what the 4 prongs are on those? Sorry, > >>> I > >>> am completely electrical stupid. > >>> > >>> --- > >>> Kaleb C. Striplin > >>> Cox Auto Trader > >>> 730-Tulsa FSBO Supervisor > >>> > >>> ----- Original Message ----- > >>> From: "Jim Cathey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>> To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > >>> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 8:18 AM > >>> Subject: Re: [MBZ] generator > >>> > >>> > >>>>> outlets and had lights to half the house. Tried another outlet and > >>>>> had > >>>>> lights to the other half of the house. Wonder why it only would do > >>>>> half? > >>>> > >>>> Because the typical US home is fed with 240V, center-tapped > >>>> off the supply transformer. > >>>> > >>>> That gives you two 120V halves of the house. You happened > >>>> to use one outlet on each (electrical) side. Adjacent breakers > >>>> in the fuse panel tap alternate halves. That's why 240V > >>>> breakers are double-high, they pick up both halves together. > >>>> That's why back-feeding one of the 240V outlets gets it all. > >>>> > >>>> -- Jim > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> _______________________________________ > >>>> http://www.okiebenz.com > >>>> For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > >>>> For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>> > >>>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >>>> http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >>> > >>> > >>> _______________________________________ > >>> http://www.okiebenz.com > >>> For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > >>> For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>> > >>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >>> http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >>> > >>> > >>> _______________________________________ > >>> http://www.okiebenz.com > >>> For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > >>> For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>> > >>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >>> http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> -- > >>> No virus found in this incoming message. > >>> Checked by AVG Free Edition. > >>> Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.0/1180 - Release Date: > >>> 12/10/2007 2:51 PM > >>> > >>> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________ > >> http://www.okiebenz.com > >> For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > >> For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >> http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > > For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > > > -- > > No virus found in this incoming message. > > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > > Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.0/1180 - Release Date: > > 12/10/2007 2:51 PM > > > > > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
